CREWE Alex return to action tomorrow when they kick-off their pre-season campaign at Kidsgrove Athletic (7pm).

The Alex then return to Staffordshire the following day to take on Newcastle Town (7pm), before departing for a week-long trip to Malta on Tuesday with two fixtures pencilled in.

The Alex take on Malta Under 21s on Thursday, July 18 and an International XI on Monday, July 22. Both matches will be played at a training ground in Valetta as the Maltese national stadium is being re-seeded.

Crewe's pre-season campaign will allow players like Steve Jones and Colin Little to stake their claims for more regular involvement than they achieved last term, while trialists Jacques Williams and John Miles will also be hoping to impress.

Alex manager Dario Gradi says his squad are raring to go.

"The players are refreshed and physically very fit.We were able to work on the football side as early as Tuesday last week and that is because the players have been at the Reaseheath training ground over the summer.

"We made it compulsory for them to come in twice a week but many of them did more than that."

He added: "They have been doing a lot of work on the weights to make them stronger and also done a lot of core stability-work. With Academy director Steve Holland having been handed a greater role with the first team, more emphasis is being placed on individual work rather than group drills.

"I was at an FA training course recently and Alan Curbishley spoke about Charlton having player improvement days," said Gradi. "That is something I've always thought was a good idea and maybe we can put it into practice.

"It is perhaps easier for Charlton as they don't play as many games as we do, but it is something we'll look at, particularly in the weeks when we aren t playing two matches."

Holland's greater responsibilities with the first team will add weight to the arguments of those who see him as the eventual successor to Gradi.

"Steve has always had an input into first-team affairs because it is good to have another opinion on a game," said the Alex boss. "All the coaches give their impression of a game after we have watched it on video and perhaps another voice on the bench will help, so we will see if we can get Steve to attend more first-team games next season."